Survival and Witness at Europe's Border: The Afterlives of a Disaster

Survival and Witness at Europe's Border explores the 2013 migrant disaster near Lampedusa, Italy, highlighting the diverse afterlives and the transformative power of survival. It emphasizes the agency and subjectivity of refugees and shifts the focus in migration studies from apparatuses of control to the agency and subjectivity of survivors.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 282 pages
Publication date: 15 September 2023
Publisher: Cornell University Press

Survival and Witness at Europe s Border delves into one of the most extensively media-covered migrant disasters in Europe. On October 3, 2013, an overcrowded fishing boat carrying Eritrean refugees caught fire near Lampedusa, Italy, resulting in the tragic loss of 368 lives. Karina Horsti, with her profound empathy and unwavering passion, vividly portrays how this disaster unfolded, leaving behind a kaleidoscope of afterlives that continue to manifest in diverse forms, depending on the perspective of the witnesses or survivors.

As individuals who were directly impacted by the disaster engage with its memory and politics, the past and the future intertwine in the present. Horsti underscores the transformative power of survival, offering a vision of a way forward from the horrific and unsustainable present. Survival, she argues, shifts the focus in migration studies away from the structures and processes that perpetuate border deaths and towards the agency and subjectivity of refugees.

Through her meticulous research and compelling storytelling, Survival and Witness at Europe s Border expands the concept of survival to reimagine border deaths beyond the confines of the systems and procedures that contribute to these tragic events. It demonstrates how the process of survival not only affects individuals but also transforms societies. Horsti highlights the productive nature of survival, emphasizing the need to shift the attention in migration studies from the apparatuses of control to the agency and subjective experiences of refugees.

This thought-provoking book offers a valuable contribution to the field of migration studies, shedding light on the complex dynamics of survival and witness in the context of Europe's border. It compels readers to consider the broader implications of migration, the role of borders, and the human experiences that shape these narratives. By exploring the lives of those affected by the disaster, Survival and Witness at Europe s Border provides a deeper understanding of the complexities of migration and the urgent need for compassion, empathy, and solidarity in addressing the challenges faced by refugees and migrants worldwide.

Weight: 430g
Dimension: 152 x 228 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781501771408